Matthew Jordan Smith has worked with some of the most well-known
names in entertainment today, including Halle Berry, Jennifer
Connelly, Jamie Foxx, Brittney Spears and Oprah Winfrey. Singer and
actress Vanessa L. Williams, television personality Star Jones
Reynolds and basketball legend Michael Jordan have all chosen
Matthew to create their personal portraits, while Pantene, L'Oreal,
Revlon, and Olay are just a few of the international clients that
have used his artistry to showcase their vision.
Matthew's knack for relating to his photographic subjects on a
personal level led to the creation of his first book, Sepia Dreams:
A Celebration of African-American Achievement Through Word and
Images published by St. Martin's Press in the Fall of 2001. Sepia
Dreams is a collection of photographs and interviews with fifty
African-American celebrities, who speak candidly about the
motivations and qualities that enabled them to find and embrace
their dreams.
In recognition of his photographic excellence, Matthew has been
honored by the Eastman Kodak Company, when he was chosen in June of
2003 as one of their Kodak Icons. April of 2004, Microsoft
Corporation selected him as one of six Icons of Imaging.
Matthew's love of photography and people stretches far beyond his
commissioned work and has given birth to several personal projects,
including his second book entitled Lost and Found, released in May
2006 and sponsored by Microsoft. Lost and Found focuses on missing
and exploited children and is endorsed by the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children. The book features moving portraits
of families whose lives have been touched by the haunting loss of a
child.
A native of New York City, Matthew has taught at the prestigious
School of Visual Arts in New York City and the Santa Fe
Photographic Workshops. He is currently working on his third book,
a photographic journey into the art of movement which includes
photographs of 100 subjects ranging from Hollywood movie stars to
the girl next door.
He sits on the board of both Kids with a Cause Europe, and APA/LA.
Matthew resides in Los Angeles.